5 FACTS YOU NEED to KNOW TODAY.

February is National Cancer Prevention Month.

Did you know that nearly 80,000 people will be diagnosed with melanoma this year? If you catch it early – before it spreads – it can be treated. How can you do that, you ask? READ ON for important information from the Melanoma Research Foundation and Dr. Richard Asarch, MD.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. and Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. It is estimated that there will be 77,000 melanoma diagnoses and nearly 10,000 deaths this year.

FACT 1- EVERY HOUR OF EVERY DAY SOMEONE DIES FROM MELANOMA.

Melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers in the U.S. and worldwide. Melanoma is not just a skin cancer. It can develop anywhere on the body – eyes, scalp, nails, feet, mouth, etc. The most dangerous aspect of melanoma is its ability, in later stages, to spread – most often to the liver, lungs and brain. Melanoma does not discriminate by age, gender or race. Everyone is at risk.

FACT 2- MELANOMA IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER DEATH IN WOMEN AGES 25-30.

Melanoma is the second leading cause of cancer death in women ages 30-35 and in ages 15-29, melanoma is the second most common cancer. The incidence of people under 30 developing melanoma is increasing faster than any other demographic group, soaring by 50% in women since 1980.

FACT 3-MELANOMA IS MOST COMMON IN MEN OVER AGE 50-EVEN MORE THAN COLON, PROSTATE and LUNG CANCER.

Watch this short PSA from AAD.org about the risk for men over 50.

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FACT 4-IT IS ESTIMATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 90% of MELANOMAS ARE CAUSED by EXPOSURE TO UV LIGHT AND SUNLIGHT.

This means that Melanoma in many cases is preventable. It takes only one blistering sunburn, especially at a young age, to more than double a person’s chance of developing melanoma later in life. Exposure to tanning beds before age 30 increases a person’s risk of developing melanoma by 75%. Young people who regularly use tanning beds are 8 times more likely to develop melanoma than people who have never used them. Occasional use of tanning beds triples their chances.

FACT 5 THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT MELANOMA IS TO PROTECT YOUR SKIN AND PERFORM ROUTINE SELF-SKIN EXAMS and YEARLY SKIN CHECKS WITH YOUR DOCTOR.

•Seek shade when possible

•Cover up with clothing, sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat

•Try to avoid being in the sun between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

•Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 30 and reapply every two hours

•Examine your skin often and take note of any changing or new moles

We now carry EltaMD Sunscare at Asarch Center DermaSpa!

Research has shown that patients, not doctors, are most likely to spot melanoma because they are most familiar with changes on their own skin. In fact, more than half of all melanomas are detected by everyday people – just by paying attention to their or their loved ones’ skin.

Join the Melanoma Research Foundation’s Get Naked Campaign by getting in front of the mirror and taking a closer look at your skin.

Perform a skin self-exam – and if you see something funny or different, make an appointment with your dermatologist. Learn more by clicking the image!